How the Writer Vladimir Sorokin Managed to Predict Russiaʼs Past in Its Future

Abstract

In 2021, conceptualist Vladimir Sorokin's Day of the Oprichnik (День опричника), written and published in 2006, was published in Slovenian. The translation was partially founded by the Russian Institute of Literary Translation. This article attempts to answer the question of why a futuristic book about the year 2028 appeared in Slovenian two years before Russia attacked Ukraine and what meaning it carries by analyzing this work. Literary analysis is complemented by a basic discussion of the sociocultural context.  Following the analysis of Sorokin’s important literary works for understanding The Day of the Oprichnik his literary strategy is also presented.